Dibrugarh: Dibrugarh Municipal Corporation (DMC) on Wednesday carried out a fresh eviction drive inside Assam Medical College and Hospital (AMCH) campus, removing unauthorised food stalls that had resurfaced barely a month after a similar operation on July 17.The drive targeted illegal makeshift stalls that had crept back into the campus, with officials also zeroing in on chronic littering and poor sanitation around the hospital premises. Vendors selling gutka and other tobacco products within the medical campus were also removed during the exercise. The tobacco sales inside the hospital premises drew particular concern from authorities, given the health risks involved in a medical facility meant to promote wellness.Wednesday’s action follows a string of enforcement drives DMC has conducted at AMCH, including a hygiene-focused operation on July 17 that uncovered food items being stored inside a bathroom at one stall, and an earlier drive on May 31 that dismantled illegal shops causing traffic congestion on campus. A December 2024 operation had similarly cleared unauthorised kiosks from near the super speciality units, blood bank and hostel areas.Despite DMC having notified 28 designated vending zones across 11 key roads in the city under the Street Vendors Act, 2014, enforcement inside institutions like AMCH has had to be repeated at short intervals, with violations resurfacing almost as soon as scrutiny eases.DMC officials reiterated that surprise inspections at AMCH and other public institutions in the city would continue with strict action against repeat offenders.“It is disappointing that these stalls returned after being cleared out last month. This shows exactly why we need continuous vigilance, not one-time action. We understand vendors have their livelihoods at stake but that cannot come at the cost of public health and safety inside a hospital campus. Repeated violations will invite strict penalties in the future,” Deputy Mayor Ujjal Phukon said.
